One of the most difficult aspects of being a foster parent is saying goodbye to a child, Child and Family Services foster care co-ordinator Selena Simons told .

Nevertheless, foster parents play a vital role in this community and the rewards of opening a home to children in need are many, she added.

Though husbands are often more reluctant than their wives to become foster parents, it is the men who become the most emotionally distraught when the time finally arrives to return a child.

?Interestingly, it is the man who is heartbroken at the end,? Ms Simons said. ?We?ve found in the last six months more women who say ?ok, I can do this again? (take in another foster child), but the men say they can?t.?

?But parents have to know it is temporary,? she added.

?Some eventually lead to adoption but... We have a very strong mandate to keep families together... especially in this small community.?

That reality can make it difficult for foster parents to give their services repeatedly.

?Some say they can?t do it again, it?s too hard. They may have a child for a year, but then they have to give them back.?

Foster care is used as a last resort in instances where some kind of intervention is needed in a child?s life, Ms Simons said.

Every effort is made to keep the child?s life as stable as possible.

That means the majority of kids are placed with family members and relatives, preferably in their same neighbourhood so they do not have to go through the added stress of changing schools.

Siblings are also kept together wherever possible.

There has been a lot of research lately on the topic of siblings, Ms Simons said, which suggests they should not be separated.

?They are going through it together, and the trauma is magnified if they are split up.?

While keeping two children together is not usually difficult, it can be challenging with three.

?Usually we keep the two little ones together and sacrifice the older one,? Ms Simons said.

?The hope is that the older child is more capable of dealing with the situation than the younger ones. ?

New-borns also present a challenge in foster care, she said.

Child and Family Services has had several cases where a mother with substance abuse or mental health issues already has children within the foster care system, and has become pregnant again.

Once born, those new-borns need to be placed in foster care ? but the foster parents have to be able to be at home with the babies.

It is a misconception that only married couples can be foster parents, Ms Simons said. Many singles also offer to bring children into foster homes.

And married couples are not guaranteed acceptance into the foster parents programme either, she said.

If Child and Family Services suspect a couple are not equally enthusiastic about becoming foster parents, they will decline that couple the opportunity.

The same applies if the couple has children who are not thrilled at the idea of having a foster sibling.

?Parents have to take their own kids into consideration, and envision the foster child fitting into their family... It?s your private space, there are a lot of adjustments,? Ms Simons said. ?Not everybody can do them all.?

Financially, ?we take care of them?, Ms Simons said.

Government provides money for foster children?s care and upkeep, as well as for any extracurricular or after-school programmes.

?If they have a hobby but couldn?t do it before, we try to get them into it,? she said. ?We want to give them the happy advantages of being in a regular home.

?It takes a lot of dedication (to become a foster parent). The ones who do it say the rewards come when they see the positive changes in the kids.

?The kids also remain connected even after they return home,? she said. ?The foster parents can become almost like godparents, extended family for them.?

With Foster Care month coming up in May, Child and Family Services is actively recruiting for more foster parents.

It was announced that 15 more parents signed on last year, and Ms Simons hopes to beat that number this year. ?We have ten already, so it should be even higher,? she said.

In celebration of Foster Care month Child and Family Services is planning an annual church service, a tag day, and an appreciation luncheon.

Those interested in applying to become foster parents can call 294-5871.